Transport services across Northern Ireland could face significant disruption this summer, following an overwhelming backing for industrial action from members of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) at Northern Ireland Railways and Ulsterbus, both of which operate under the Translink banner.

The dispute centres on long-running grievances over pay and contract conditions, with the union balloting members across a range of roles including supervisors, clerical workers and management, professional and technical staff. The result, which was confirmed after ballots closed at noon on 16 June, revealed overwhelming support for both strike action and action short of a strike.

Strike action within Supervisor grades at NI Railways reached over 90 percent in favour, with similar results in other areas – including Ulsterbus and Management grades at NI Railways with over 80 percent support.

Although no strike dates have been announced, the union has warned that any industrial action could severely reduce or even halt services in the coming months. Commenting, TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, said: "Our members have given an overwhelming mandate; they are fed up with broken promises and pay inequality. Translink's refusal to offer a fair deal has left us no option but to prepare for industrial action. 

"Our union does not take this step lightly, but we have been left with no choice after other grades in Translink were offered the equivalent of a 5.77 per cent pay increase, yet our members are expected to accept less for doing critical work that keeps Northern Ireland moving. 

"Unless Translink and the Department for Infrastructure urgently step up with a meaningful offer, they will bear full responsibility for the disruption facing the public this summer."

Underlying the dispute are two key issues. For railway supervisors, the union points to what it describes as a "contract disparity", with members in supervisory roles in some cases earning less than the workers they oversee. These supervisors are also being asked to take on additional duties and new ways of working, which the union argues would significantly increase their responsibilities without adequate compensation.

For clerical and technical staff, the row is focused on the failure to secure a satisfactory pay award for 2024. TSSA says its members in these grades have been offered a pay increase that falls short of what has been awarded to other groups within Translink, undermining efforts to achieve parity across the organisation.